Arsenic-enrichment enhanced root exudates and altered rhizosphere microbial communities and activities in hyperaccumulator Pteris vittata.

Phytoremediation of arsenic (As)-contaminated soil by hyperaccumulator Pteris vittata is promising. A better understanding of the rhizosphere microbial dynamics that regulate As availability and plant growth is important to optimize the phytoremediation process. In this study, Illumina sequencing of 16S rRNA genes was applied to assess the rhizosphere microbial community structure of P. vittata. Microbial functionality was monitored by soil enzyme activities and MPN-PCR targeting genes of interest. Arsenic (100mgkg-1 AsV) addition to soil significantly increased DOC, root exudates, As and P uptake and the frond biomass of P. vittata. Moreover, As-enrichment significantly increased soil enzyme activities involved in N, P and S cycling and the gene abundance of As transforming bacteria, Fe- and S-reducing bacteria and N and C fixing bacteria in the rhizosphere of P. vittata. Together, the results revealed that the combined selective pressure of As and rhizosphere resulted in stimulation of microbial community, which most likely has a role in reductive dissolution of Fe and S, As and P mobilization, C degradation and fixation, and N fixation. These changes appeared to have a role in mitigation of As toxicity and to promote growth and the As uptake ability of P. vittata under As-enriched conditions.

Association between arsenic and different-sized dissolved organic matter in the groundwater of black-foot disease area, Taiwan.

The formation of an arsenic (As)-dissolved organic matter (DOM) complex is important in driving the release of arsenic in groundwater. This study collected groundwater samples from a 20 m deep well throughout 2014 and separated each into three subsamples by ultrafiltration: high molecular weight-DOM (HDOM, 0.45 µm-10 kDa), medium molecular weight-DOM (MDOM, 10-1 kDa), and low molecular weight-DOM (LDOM, <1 kDa) solutions. The fractional DOM was measured with a three-dimensional excitation-emission matrix (EEM) via fluorescence spectroscopy. A fluorescence quenching method was used to calculate the apparent stability constant (Ks) between arsenic and the fractional DOM. Based on the EEM records, three fluorescence indicators were further calculated to characterize the DOM sources, including the fluorescence index (FI), the biological index (BI), and the humification index (HI). The experimental results indicated that arsenic in the groundwater was mainly partitioned into the MDOM and LDOM fractions. All fractional DOMs contained humic acid-like substances and were considered as microbial sources. LDOM had the highest humification degree and aromaticity, followed by MDOM and HDOM. The As and DOM association could be formed by a Fe-bridge, which was demonstrated by the Ks values and fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra of the DOM. The formation of AsFe-DOM complex was only significant in the MDOM and LDOM.

Water management impacts on arsenic behavior and rhizosphere bacterial communities and activities in a rice agro-ecosystem.

Although rice cultivated under water-saturated conditions as opposed to submerged conditions has received considerable attention with regard to reducing As levels in rice grain, the rhizosphere microbiome potentially influencing As-biotransformation and bioavailability in a rice ecosystem has rarely been studied. In this study, the impacts of flooded, non-flooded and alternate wetting and drying (AWD) practices on rhizosphere bacterial composition and activities that could potentially impact As speciation and accumulation in rhizosphere soil and pore water, As fractions in rhizosphere soil and As speciation and distribution in plant parts were assessed. The results revealed that in addition to pore water As concentration, non-specifically sorbed As fraction, specifically sorbed As fraction and amorphous iron oxide bound As fraction in soil were bio-available to rice plants. In the flooded treatment, As(III) in the pore water was the predominant As species, accounting for 87.3-93.6% of the total As, whereas in the non-flooded and AWD treatments, As(V) was the dominant As species, accounting for 89.6-96.2% and 73.0-83.0%, respectively. The genera Ohtaekwangia, Geobacter, Anaeromyxobacter, Desulfuromonas, Desulfocapsa, Desulfobulbus, and Lacibacter were found in relatively high abundance in the flooded soil, whereas the genera Acinetobacter, Ignavibacterium, Thiobacillus, and Lysobacter were detected in relatively high abundance in the non-flooded soil. Admittedly, the decrease in As level in rice cultivated under the non-flooded and AWD conditions was mostly linked to a relatively high soil redox potential, low As(III) concentration in the soil pore water, a decrease in the relative abundance of As-, Fe- and sulfur-reducing bacteria and an increase in the relative abundance of As-, Fe- and sulfur-oxidizing bacteria in the rhizosphere soil of the rice. This study demonstrated that with substantial reduction in grain As levels and higher water productivity, AWD practice in rice cultivation should be favored over the non-flooded and continuously flooded rice cultivations in As-contaminated sites.

Arsenite-oxidizing bacteria exhibiting plant growth promoting traits isolated from the rhizosphere of Oryza sativa L.: Implications for mitigation of arsenic contamination in paddies.

Arsenite-oxidizing bacteria exhibiting plant growth promoting (PGP) traits can have the advantages of reducing As-uptake by rice and promoting plant growth in As-stressed soil. A gram-positive bacterium Bacillus flexus ASO-6 resistant to high levels of As (32 and 280 mM for arsenite and arsenate, respectively) and exhibiting elevated rates of As(III) oxidation (Vmax=1.34 µM min(-1) 10(-7) cell) was isolated from rhizosphere of rice. The presence of aoxB gene and exhibition of As(III)-oxidase enzyme activity of this strain was observed. The ability of the strain to produce siderophore, IAA, ACC-deaminase and to solubilize phosphate was verified. The rice seed treated with the strain exhibited significantly improved seed germination and seedling vigor compared with the un-inoculated seeds. The bacterial inoculation significantly increased root biomass, straw yield, grain yield, chlorophyll and carotenoid in the rice plant. Moreover, As uptake from root to shoot and As accumulation in straw and grain decreased significantly as a result of the bacterial inoculation. Noteworthy, the inoculation effect is more prominent in non-flooded soil than it is in flooded soil. Owing to its wide action spectrum, this As(III)-oxidizing PGPB could serve as a potential bio-inoculant for mitigation of As in paddies and sustainable rice production in As-contaminated areas.

Screening of plant growth-promoting traits in arsenic-resistant bacteria isolated from agricultural soil and their potential implication for arsenic bioremediation.

Twelve arsenic (As)-resistant bacteria (minimum inhibitory concentration ranging from 10 to 30mM and 150 to 320mM for As(III) and As(V), respectively) were isolated from the agricultural soil of the Chianan Plain in southwestern Taiwan using enrichment techniques. Eight isolates capable of oxidizing As(III) (rate of oxidation from 0.029 to 0.059µMh(-1) 10(-9) cell) and exhibiting As(III)-oxidase enzyme activity belong to Pseudomonas, Acinetobacter, Klebsiella and Comamonas genera, whereas four isolates that did not show As(III)-oxidizing activity belong to Geobacillus, Bacillus, Paenibacillus, and Enterobacter genera. Assessment of the parameters of plant growth promotion revealed that Pseudomonas sp. ASR1, ASR2 and ASR3, Geobacillus sp. ASR4, Bacillus sp. ASR5, Paenibacillus sp. ASR6, Enterobacter sp. ASR10 and Comamonas sp. ASR11, and ASR12 possessed some or all of the studied plant growth-promoting traits, including phosphate-solubilization, siderophore, IAA-like molecules and ACC deaminase production. In addition, the ability of As-resistant isolates to grow over wide ranges of pH and temperatures signify their potential application for sustainable bioremediation of As in the environment.